


Things that the Homilies and Hymns won't Teach ya

by Kasuna_Kotonoha



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Aaron Burr Has Anxiety, Aaron Burr is So Done, Characters React to Fandom, Childhood Trauma, Cinnamon Roll Eliza Schuyler, Dad Friend Hercules Mulligan, Demisexual John Laurens, George Washington is a Dad, Good Sibling Angelica Schuyler, Hamilton watches Hamilton, Human Disaster Aaron Burr, Human Disaster Alexander Hamilton, Hurt Alexander Hamilton, I couldn’t find any react fics with smol Burr so I did it myself, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, It’s tragically underutilized, Poor Aaron Burr, Poor Peggy Schuyler, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Protective Eliza Schuyler, Sad Eliza Schuyler
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-10
Updated: 2020-10-04
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:28:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,392
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25189465
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kasuna_Kotonoha/pseuds/Kasuna_Kotonoha
Summary: A chiche Hamilton react Hamilton fic, but with a twist that I wish I could see used more.
Relationships: Aaron Burr/Theodosia Prevost Burr (mentioned), Adrienne de Lafayette/Gilbert du Motier Marquis de Lafayette (mentioned), Alexander Hamilton/Elizabeth "Eliza" Schuyler (Mentioned), Alexander Hamilton/John Laurens (mentioned), George Washington/Martha Washington, Hercules Mulligan/Elizabeth Sanders Mulligan (Mentioned), John Laurens/Margaret "Peggy" Schuyler, Martha Wayles Jefferson/Thomas Jefferson (mentioned)
Comments: 40
Kudos: 286





	1. Introductions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is Low key inspired by Winterbell23’s react fic Second Chances

Ellie and Samantha were playing a rousing game of Super Mario Cart on Ellie’s console. 

“Hah, take that!”

“Seriously, that so cheep, Sam!”

“You’re just mad I thought of it first.”

They were finishing up laps on Rainbow Road when a blinding flash of white light enveloped them. When the spots cleared from their eyes, they found themselves in an unfamiliar location. The room was plain, with only a few couches, a large screen, cabinets at the back, and a couple of doors that went...somewhere.

Scattered about on the floor were a bunch of people in 18th-century dresses and suits. Interestingly enough, two of the people seemed to be adolescents. Ellie and Sam would have done something had the group not began to stir right at that moment.

***

Margarita “Peggy” Schuyler was confused. Not surprising when you considered the fact that she’d been at her sister’s wedding just moments prior, and now she was here, in a room with a bunch of random people. She knew her sisters, of course, and Laurens as well. She also recognized the Washingtons (who wouldn’t) and the Marquis de Lafayette. She thinks the final soldier’s name is Hercules Mulligan, but she isn’t quite sure. What stands out the most to her, however, are the two young boys standing to the side awkwardly. Something about them is so familiar, but she can’t place her finger on why.

Almost like a switch was flipped, everyone, sans the boys, started talking at once, trying to figure out what the heck was going on.

“Everyone!” Suddenly, someone she hadn’t noticed yet, a woman by the sounds of it, yelled loud enough to get everyone quiet and attentive. She thought she saw the younger of the two boys flinch, but she might have been seeing things.

“Do I have everyone’s attention? Good. Now-”

“Ok, who are you, where are we, and what do you want?”

“I was getting to that. Now, first things first, introductions. I’m Samantha, but you can call me Sam, and this is my little sister Ellie. We’re from the year 2020.”

Sam and Ellie both had frizzy auburn hair and emerald eyes. Sam looked about seventeen and had her hair done in a low bun. Ellie, in comparison, was about fifteen, and her hair was done in an intricate side braid.

The sisters gave the revolutionaries a pointed look, ignoring the shocked looks they were receiving.

“Oh, right. I guess I can start.” The girl in the light pink dress spoke. “I’m Angelica Schuyler, and I was just at Eliza’s wedding reception, 1780”

The women in the blue and yellow dresses gasped. “That’s where we were!” said the woman in blue.

The woman in yellow nodded. “Same. Margarita Schuyler, but everyone just calls me Peggy.”

“Me too. I’m John Laurens” said one of the men in military uniform. Peggy smiled shyly at him.

“George Washington. I was preparing for the siege of Yorktown, 1781.” said a man with a sash as part of his uniform. Immediately, all the soldiers stood at attention.

“Martha Washington, 1781” The older woman slipped her arm through her husbands.

“Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette, but it’s easier to just call me Lafayette. I was helping the general prep for Yorktown.”

“Hercules Mulligan, and I’m a spy for the general.”

“Thomas Jefferson. I just got back from France, 1789”

“James Madison, and I am also from 1789.”

Almost simultaneously, everyone turned to the last, and youngest, two people.

“And who might you be?” Eliza asked gently. She could see, pretty clearly, that both boys were wary, and she didn’t want them to feel threatened.

The younger of the two opted to go first. “My name’s Aaron Burr Jr. I was just on my way home from church with my family.”

“How old are you, Aaron,” asked Eliza. She knew Aaron Burr, his older self at least, but this kid obviously didn’t know any of them.

“I’m twelve.”

“And you?” Eliza turned to the final person. 

“I’m Alexander Hamilton, ma’am. I’m 15, and was just about to dock in New York.”

The Hamilsquad, that being Hercule, Lafayette, and John, all exchanged glances. It was rather concerning that their two comrades were this young. 

“Now, you wanted some type of explanation, correct?” Getting a few nods, Sam continued. “To put in simply, we’re here to watch a musical.”

“A musical is basically a play told through songs,” added Ellie, seeing everyone’s confused faces. “This particular musical is called “Hamilton” Now, if you would all take a seat, we can get started.


	2. Alexander Hamilton

“Wait, it’s about me?” Alexander looked both intrigued and creeped out.

Ellie nodded. “Yep! Let’s not waste any more time, shall we?” She blatantly ignored Alex’s weak protests.

Everyone sat down on the couches, left to right as follows.

Couch 1. Jefferson, Madison

Couch 2. Martha, Washington, Laf, Herc

Couch 3. John, Peggy, Angelica, Eliza

Couch 4. Alex, Sam, Ellie, Aaron

Aaron elected to sit on the very end, putting Ellie and Sam between him and everyone else. He didn’t know any of these people, and he certainly didn’t trust them. 

He shuddered to think what would happen when Uncle Timothy saw he was missing.

**[Aaron Burr:]**

When Leslie Odom Jr walked out on stage, the entire room erupted into chatter. The loudest voice of protest was Thomas Jefferson.

“EVERYONE, SHUT UP!” Ellie hadn’t meant to be so loud, but it worked. She took a deep breath. “Okay, look. I know many of you haven’t seen a black man perform in a play, or musical in this case, but only one member of this cast is white, so get used to it, Mr.Jefferson. Skin color doesn’t matter in 2020.”

She sat back down, well aware of everyone’s eyes on her, but she didn’t care.

“Who does he play?” asked Aaron.

Ellie smiled. “You, actually.”

Aaron, impressively, only made a slight humming sound.

**How does a bastard, orphan, son of a whore and a**

**Scotsman, dropped in the middle of a forgotten**

**Spot in the Caribbean by providence, impoverished, in squalor**

**Grow up to be a hero and a scholar?**

Alexander knew this was about him, but he didn’t expect the show to start off with something like this. It wasn’t entirely wrong, but it still hurt. However, he was intrigued by the “Hero and a scholar” line. 

**[John Laurens:]**

“That’s John.” Sam supplied.

**The ten-dollar Founding Father without a father**

Washington frowned. He hated that, even centuries later, Alexander was still known as someone without a father. Glancing over, he saw young Alex grimace, no doubt resentful of that line. 

“What’s it mean by Ten Dollar?” asked Angelica.

“It means he’s on our currency, the 10 dollar bill to be exact. Hey, uh, Sam, do you-”

“Yeah, I think do.” Sam reached into her pocket, grabbed her wallet, and pulled out a ten-dollar bill, as well as a one-dollar bill. She showed them to Aaron first before handing them to Alex to pass around. “Here you can see Hamilton’s face, and Washington on the one. There are others, of course, but no one you would recognize.”

“Except for the two, which has Jefferson, but we don’t make those anymore.” Ellie and Sam laughed at Jeffersons’ affronted expression while everyone else just chuckled. The money made its way safely back into Sams’s hands and the music continued.

**Got a lot farther by working a lot harder**

**By being a lot smarter**

**By being a self-starter**

**By fourteen, they placed him in charge of a trading charter**

“Oh wow, is that true?” Eliza looked over to the younger version of her husband. (This was so weird)

“Um, yes, ma’am. The owner of the firm I worked for had to go to sea for a few months, so he left me in charge.”

“That’s very impressive.”

Alex just shrugged. 

**[Thomas Jefferson:]**

“That’s supposed to be Mr.Jefferson, but the actor also plays Lafayette in act one,” said Sam. 

**And every day while slaves were being slaughtered and carted**

John made a faint growling noise in his throat. He despised slavery in all its forms. It was ridiculous and terrible how people could treat others as lesser just because their skin was darker.

**Away across the waves, he struggled and kept his guard up**

**Inside, he was longing for something to be a part of**

**The brother was ready to beg, steal, borrow, or barter**

“That-isn’t that against the law?” Jefferson said, his face pinched in a way that didn’t do it any favors.

Madison elbowed him, giving him a reproachful look. Alex just glared at him.

**[James Madison:]**

“Mr.Madison, but Oak, the actor, also plays Mr.Mulligan,” Ellie said.

**Then a hurricane came, and devastation reigned**

Alexander immediately paled, gripping the fabric of his pants in his hands. 

_Please no_

They hadn’t even finished the first song, yet he already wanted this to be over. He didn’t need people hearing about every little detail of his life.

**Our man saw his future drip, dripping down the drain**

**Put a pencil to his temple, connected it to his brain**

**And he wrote his first refrain, a testament to his pain**

Angelica, though she was of course horrified, really wanted to read what he’d written.

**[Burr:]**

**Well, the word got around, they said, "This kid is insane, man."**

“Well,” Hercules smirked. “They aren’t wrong.” 

**Took up a collection just to send him to the mainland**

“Did they really?” Aaron looked at Alex with interest, getting a nod in response. 

“Yeah, I was encouraged to publish the letter in the paper by Hugh Knox, a local minister. People were impressed enough that they pooled together enough money to send me to the mainland colonies.”

**"Get your education, don't forget from whence you came, and**

**The world's gonna know your name. What's your name, man?"**

**[Alexander Hamilton:]**

The Hamildquad all grinned when Lin Manuel Miranda stepped on stage. 

**Alexander Hamilton**

**My name is Alexander Hamilton**

**And there's a million things I haven't done**

Alex nodded firmly. He was going to take the world by storm.

“Fun fact, Lin, the guy who plays Hamilton, wrote this entire musical,” Sam said.

“Wait, really?” Martha seemed very interested in that fact.

“Yeah. I suppose I should mention that the main inspiration behind this musical was a biography about Alex by a guy named Ron Chernow,” Sam explained

“He thought someone must have written a musical, but no one had. So he decided “screw it, I’ll do it myself,”” Ellie continued.

**But just you wait, just you wait...**

**[Eliza Hamilton:]**

“Thats me, isn’t it?” Eliza guessed. Ellie and Sam nodded. Everyone else was struck by how remarkably similar the actress looked to Eliza.

**When he was ten his father split, full of it, debt-ridden**

Washington gasped slightly, before his expression changed to a glare directed at the screen. He knew Alexander didn’t like talking about his family, and now he knew why.

**Two years later, see Alex and his mother bed-ridden**

**Half-dead sittin' in their own sick, the scent thick**

Alex’s eyes widened. Surely they wouldn’t-

**[Full Company except Hamilton (whispering):]**

**And Alex got better but his mother went quick**

He blinked back the tears that had started to form. He wasn’t going to cry, not now, not while he was in front of all these people. 

Suddenly, he felt someone put their arm around him and pull him close. 

“You’re allowed to cry, Alex. No ones going to judge you for it,” Sam murmured, gently rubbing his arm. Apparently that was what he needed to hear, as he started crying softly into her shoulder.

**[George Washington (Company):]**

“Washington,” Ellie said, though he was pretty unmistakable.

**Moved in with a cousin,**

“At least he has his cousin,” Peggy said brightly, though her voice was quiet, heard only by John and her sisters. 

**the cousin committed suicide**

Any optimistic feeling left in the room vanished. Alex, though the tears had slowed a bit, still kept his head tucked into Sams shoulder.

**Left him with nothin' but ruined pride, something new inside**

**A voice saying, "Alex, you gotta fend for yourself."**

**He started retreatin' and readin' every treatise on the shelf**

Lafayette managed a small smile. It was pretty amazing how resilient _mon petit lion_ was. He wasn’t sure he’d have held up so well in the face of something even remotely similar

**[Burr (Company):]**

**There would've been nothin' left to do**

**For someone less astute**

**He would've been dead or destitute**

**Without a cent of restitution**

**Started workin', clerkin' for his late mother's landlord**

**Tradin' sugar cane and rum and all the things he can't afford**

**Scammin' for every book he can get his hands on**

**Plannin' for the future see him now as he stands on (ooh...)**

**The bow of a ship headed for a new land**

**In New York you can be a new man**

**[Company (Hamilton):]**

**In New York you can (just you wait) be a new man**

**In New York you can (just you wait) be a new man**

**In New York you can be a new man**

Everyone from New York grinned. It was absolutely true. Maybe they were a bit biased, but there was no greater city in the world.

**[Women:] In New York**

**[Men:] New York**

**[Hamilton:] Just you wait!**

**[Company:]**

**Alexander Hamilton (Alexander Hamilton)**

**We are waiting in the wings for you (waiting in the wings for you)**

**You could never back down**

**You never learned to take your time!**

Ellie shook her head. It was a shame, really, but maybe he’d learn to by the end of this musical.

Alex tilted his head in confusion. What was that supposed to mean?

**Oh, Alexander Hamilton (Alexander Hamilton)**

**When America sings for you**

**Will they know what you overcame?**

_“Quite a lot, it would seem,”_ thought Aaron. He still wasn’t sure what his role was supposed to be in this. He certainly didn’t think it’d be very significant (Uncle Timothy reminded him of that fact plenty) but it _was_ puzzling.

**Will they know you rewrote the game?**

**The world will never be the same, oh**

**[Burr:]**

**The ship is in the harbor now**

**See if you can spot him ([Men:] Just you wait)**

**Another immigrant**

**Comin' up from the bottom ([Company:] Just you wait)**

**His enemies destroyed his rep**

**America forgot him**

Angelica snorted. With what Ellie and Sam had said earlier, that line was rather funny.

**[Mulligan/Madison and Lafayette/Jefferson:]**

**We fought with him**

Lafayette and Hercules grinned.

“Of course we did.”

“Always will, _mon ami_.”

Meanwhile, Thomas and James remembered what had been said earlier. If that was, in some weird way, them as well, what did that mean for them?

**[Laurens/Philip:]**

**Me? I died for him**

John paled. He’d always known it was a possibility, but to have that fear confirmed made things so much worse.

Peggy, as discreetly as possible, took one of Johns's hands in her own. She didn’t feel any tears coming on, but she suspected it was because it hadn’t truly hit her yet.

**[Washington:]**

**Me? I trusted him**

Washington nodded. Even if their relationship had become strained as of late, Alexander was still the first person he’d go to for ideas.

**[Eliza and Angelica and Peggy/Maria:]**

**Me? I loved him**

All three Schuyler sisters sat up straighter. The last woman was very likely Peggy.

Angelica, for all her poise and confidence, really hoped this musical wouldn’t cover any lingering attraction she’d had for her sister's husband.

**[Burr:]**

**And me? I'm the damn fool that shot him**

Aaron felt the blood drain from his face. 

_What._

The first thing to pop into his head was gratitude that his uncle wasn’t here. Who knows what might have happened otherwise.

The second thing, and much more important, was the all-encompassing guilt and horror with having his role now clearly spelled out for all to see.

He shrunk back in his seat, desperately wishing to just disappear.

Alex, for his part, only blanched a little. He knew he was going to die eventually, and it seemed that it was to be by someone else’s hands.

Someone who, to him, was only twelve. He wanted to help, but he wasn’t sure how well that would be received. 

**[Company:]**

**There's a million things I haven't done**

**But just you wait!**

**[Burr:]**

**What's your name, man?**

**[Company:]**

**Alexander Hamilton!**

With the end of the song, Ellie paused the video.

“I know that was only the first song, but I have a feeling some of you need to talk. We’ll reconvene in ten minutes.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Couple of things.
> 
> 1\. Alex’s birthdate is 1757.  
> 2\. John did marry Martha Manning, but she died shortly after giving birth to their daughter, Frances.  
> 3\. John and Alex did/do love each other, but agreed to cut things off if one or both of them got married, with the exception of their wive(s) approval.  
> 4\. In light of Martha’s death, John is courting Peggy. Yes, he does love her. (Read the tags) Peggy knows about Frances and Martha, but has yet to meet her potential stepdaughter due to her not being old enough to travel by ship to be with her father and extended family. She also knows about him and Alex.


	3. Aaron Burr, Sir

In an instant, Alex had dragged Aaron off to one of the side rooms.

Everyone watched in silence as the door partially closed behind them. 

“Umm, does anyone want something to drink?” Sam had started investigating the back cabinets, and found a fridge stocked with all sorts of drinks.

A few people took water, but that was it. No one really felt like saying anything.

When Alex and Aaron came back in, both looked like they felt just a little better.

Wordlessly, Alex made Sam and Ellie scoot over so Aaron could sit next to him. Everyone exchanged looks, but didn’t comment.

**[Company:]**

**1776\. New York City.**

Alex and Aaron glanced at each other. For them, this entire musical would take place in the future, and neither was quite sure how they felt about that.

**[Hamilton:]**

**Pardon me. Are you Aaron Burr, sir?**

**[Burr:]**

**That depends. Who's asking?**

“Does your answer change otherwise?” Angelica raised an eyebrow.

Aaron just raised an eyebrow back, his expression a silent judgment.

**[Hamilton:]**

**Oh, well, sure, sir**

**I'm Alexander Hamilton, I'm at your service, sir**

**I have been looking for you**

“What are you, a stalker?” Jefferson muttered. Madison elbowed him sharply. However, everyone else was amused.

**[Burr:]**

**I'm getting nervous**

“You’d be hightailing it in the opposite direction if you knew what you’d be getting yourself into,” Hercules said, amusement lacing his voice. Aaron, however, though he _was_ a little amused, winced slightly.

**[Hamilton:]**

**Sir…**

**I heard your name at Princeton.**

“Princeton?” Madison and Aaron said simultaneously, before giving each other a weird look.

“The College of New Jersey,” Sam explained. “It was renamed to Princeton University in 1896. It’s a very good school, too, one of what we call Ivy League schools, which are some of the most prestigious schools in the country.”

“You’d be familiar with most of them, I think.” Ellie had pulled up a list on her phone. “In order of year founded, we have Harvard, originally New College, which is nowhere near as cool, Yale, originally Collegiate School, which, again, lame. Then there’s the University of Pennsylvania, which started as an unnamed charity school. Princeton we told you about. Then there’s Columbia University, originally King's College.”

“That’s where you end up going, Sam said to Alex.

“After that is Brown University, which was formerly, get this-'' Ellie took a deep breath. “College in the English colony of Rhode Island and Providence plantations. Yeah, can’t blame them for renaming it. After that is Dartmouth College, founded in 1769. Finally, there’s Cornell University, which none of you would have heard of since it was founded in 1865. Its also the origin of the Cornell note-taking system, also known as the bane of every student's existence.”

**I was seeking an accelerated course of study when I got sort of out of sorts with a buddy of yours. I may have punched him. It's a blur, sir. He handles the financials?**

**[Burr:]**

**You punched the bursar**

“Alexander!” Several people said at once, causing said boy to jump. Aaron also flinched, temporarily pressing into Sam's side.

_He really didn’t like sudden noises._

**[Hamilton:]**

**Yes!**

**I wanted to do what you did. Graduate in two,**

Aaron blinked in surprise. He really graduated that fast? He knew he had the determination, he’d been studying independently over the past year and a half or so, after all, but to hear it confirmed was great.

Madison smiled sheepishly. He’d graduated in two years as well. However, he’d ended up overworking himself and nearly had a breakdown. He’d known of Burr in college as well, though they weren’t really friends at the time. The thing that had stood out most about him was just how _young_ he was. The kid was only thirteen when he’d enrolled, just a bit older than the Aaron with him now. 

**then join the revolution. He looked at me like I was stupid, I'm not stupid.**

**So how'd you do it? How'd you graduate so fast?**

**[Burr:]**

**It was my parents' dying wish before they passed**

Alex startled before looking at Aaron in shock. Aaron just nodded.

**[Hamilton:]**

**You're an orphan. Of course! I'm an orphan**

“Really?” Aaron gave Alex an entirely deadpan, unimpressed look.

Alex rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “Sorry?”

“It's fine.”

Washington watched the two interact with slight concern on his face. Despite Aarons's dismissal, it didn’t _seem_ fine. 

**God, I wish there was a war!**

**Then we could prove that we're worth more**

**Than anyone bargained for…**

**[Burr:]**

**Can I buy you a drink?**

**[Hamilton:]**

**That would be nice**

**[Burr:]**

**While we're talking, let me offer you some free advice**

Aaron smiled to himself. He had an idea of what he was going to say, and it had served him well.

**Talk less**

“I don’t think that’s possible,” Hercules said with a chuckle.

“Hey!”

**[Hamilton:]**

**What?**

**[Burr:]**

**Smile more**

**[Hamilton:]**

**Ha**

**[Burr:]**

**Don't let them know what you're against or what you're for**

**[Hamilton:]**

**You can't be serious**

“I am. It’s served me well, if anything.”

Alex made a face at Aaron, who returned the favor. 

Though everyone else was chuckling at the interaction, Washington got a funny feeling in his chest. He’d heard Burr’s saying, of course, but for some odd reason it concerned him that he’d come up with it so young.

**[Burr:]**

**You wanna get ahead?**

**[Hamilton:]**

**Yes**

**[Burr:]**

**Fools who run their mouths off wind up dead**

**[Laurens:]**

**Yo yo yo yo yo!**

John cringed slightly, but otherwise didn’t react. Peggy carefully took one of his hands in her own. 

**What time is it?**

**[Laurens/Lafayette/Mulligan:]**

**Show time!**

Lafayette and Mulligan, oblivious to the foreshadowing that just happened, were bouncing excitedly in their seats. Seeing themselves be introduced was going to be fun!

**[Burr:]**

**Like I said…**

**[Laurens:]**

**Show time! Show time! Yo!**

**I'm John Laurens in the place to be!**

**A two pints o' Sam Adams, but I'm workin' on three, uh!**

Aaron scrunched his nose. He wasn’t a fan of alcohol. It smelled, and sometimes made people do bad things. He was grateful his uncle's house didn’t smell too strongly of the stuff, but still. 

**Those redcoats don't want it with me!**

**'Cause I will pop chick-a pop these cops 'til I'm free!**

“Uh, what now?”

“It's mostly a sound effect, Laf,” Sam said.

**[Lafayette:]**

**Oui oui, mon ami, je m'appelle Lafayette!**

**The Lancelot of the revolutionary set!**

**I came from afar just to say "Bonsoir!"**

**Tell the King "Casse toi!" Who's the best?**

**C'est moi!**

Everyone who knew french burst out laughing, but Lafayette, John, and Alex’s were the loudest. 

**[Mulligan:]**

**Brrrah brraaah! I am Hercules Mulligan**

**Up in it, lovin' it, yes I heard ya mother said, "Come again?"**

**[Lafayette and Laurens:]**

**Ayyyyy**

**[Mulligan:]**

**Lock up ya daughters and horses, of course**

**It's hard to have intercourse over four sets of corsets…**

“Not in front of the kids, Mr.Mulligan!” Sam covered Aarons's ears with her hand, which he promptly swatted away. Alex was fending off something similar from Eliza.

Both boys would have protested that they weren’t kids, but the music continued.

**[Lafayette:]**

**Wow**

**[Laurens:]**

**No more sex, pour me another brew, son!**

**Let's raise a couple more…**

**[Laurens/Lafayette/Mulligan:]**

**To the revolution!**

**[Laurens:]**

**Well, if it ain't the prodigy of Princeton college!**

Aaron tried to contain his grin. He sure hoped the college would accept him at thirteen. He was certainly smart enough.

**[Mulligan:]**

**Aaron Burr!**

**[Laurens:]**

**Give us a verse, drop some knowledge!**

**[Burr:]**

**Good luck with that: you're takin' a stand**

**You spit. I'mma sit. We'll see where we land**

**[Lafayette/Mulligan:]**

**Boooo!**

“Really?” Madison’s face was entirely deadpan, save for a disapproving gleam in his eyes.

**[Laurens:]**

**Burr, the revolution's imminent. What do you stall for?**

**[Hamilton:]**

**If you stand for nothing, Burr, what'll you fall for?**

Aaron resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He did stand for some things, just not that openly. Not that he’d try to explain that to them. They wouldn’t get it.

**[Mulligan/Lafayette/Laurens:]**

**Ooh**

**[Laurens:]**

**Who are you?**

**[Mulligan:]**

**Who are you?**

**[Lafayette:]**

**Who are you?**

“Why does Laf sound so suspicious?” John said between laughs. Peggy had to giggle

**[Mulligan/Lafayette/Laurens:]**

**Ooh, who is this kid? What's he gonna do?**

“So many great things,” Eliza said, giving her future husband a soft smile.


	4. My Shot

**[Hamilton:]**

**I am not throwing away my shot!**

**I am not throwing away my shot!**

**Hey yo, I'm just like my country**

**I'm young, scrappy and hungry**

**And I'm not throwing away my shot!**

Sam bopped her head to the beat. Even if she wasn’t the biggest fan of the song, it was still fun and very important motif wise.

**I'm 'a get a scholarship to King's College**

“You did,” Herc confirmed. Alex’s eyes lit up, and he grinned.

**I probably shouldn't brag, but dag, I amaze and astonish**

James elbowed Thomas before he could say whatever it was he wanted to say.

**The problem is I got a lot of brains but no polish**

**I gotta holler just to be heard**

**With every word, I drop knowledge!**

**I'm a diamond in the rough, a shiny piece of coal**

**Tryin' to reach my goal. My power of speech: unimpeachable**

**Only nineteen but my mind is older**

Washington blinked. He’d known Alexander was young when he’d met him, but he’d assumed he was in his early twenties, not a teenager!

**These New York City streets get colder, I shoulder**

“How do you all even live here year-round?” Alex said aghast. “It never got very cold in Nevis”

“You think this is cold? Wait until you see your first New England winter.” Aaron said, with slight amusement in his voice.

“Don’t worry, I’ll make you some stuff,” Herc reassured him. “It's not usually that bad.”

**Every burden, every disadvantage**

**I have learned to manage, I don't have a gun to brandish**

**I walk these streets famished**

_ “They have no idea how true that is,”  _ Alex though. 

**[Laurens:]**

**Ooh!**

**[Hamilton:]**

**The plan is to fan this spark into a flame**

**But damn, it's getting dark, so let me spell out the name**

**I am the**

**[Hamilton/Lafayette/Mulligan/Laurens:]**

**A-L-E-X-A-N-D**

**E-R—we are meant to be…**

**[Hamilton:]**

**A colony that runs independently**

**Meanwhile, Britain keeps shittin' on us endlessly**

**Essentially, they tax us relentlessly**

**Then King George turns around, runs a spending spree**

Alex and Aaron, who hadn’t quite yet learned why they were having a revolution both “ohh”ed quietly. It wasn’t a very in-depth explanation, but it got the general idea across.

**He ain't ever gonna set his descendants free**

Though they tried to look like they were not, most people at least glanced at Ellie and Sam. Both girls were living proof of their cause.

**So there will be a revolution in this century**

**Enter me!**

**[Lafayette/Mulligan/Laurens:]**

**(He says in parentheses)**

“Is that like stage directions?” Martha asked. Ellie nodded.

**[Hamilton:]**

**Don't be shocked when your history book mentions me**

**I will lay down my life if it sets us free**

“Not on my watch,” Eliza muttered. Alex just gave her a strange look. Why was she so protective of him?

**Eventually, you'll see my ascendancy**

**[Hamilton (Laurens):]**

**And I am not throwing away**

**My shot (My shot)**

**I am not throwing away**

**My shot (My shot)**

**Hey yo, I'm just like my country**

**I'm young, scrappy and hungry**

**And I'm not throwing away my shot (And I'm not throwing away my shot)**

**[Hamilton/Mulligan/Laurens/Lafayette:]**

**I am not throwing away my shot**

**I am not throwing away my shot**

“Is the entire song going to be like this?” Thomas complained.

Ellie just grinned, and he groaned.

**Hey yo, I'm just like my country**

**I'm young, scrappy and hungry**

**And I'm not throwing away my shot**

**It's time to take a shot!**

**[Lafayette:]**

**I dream of life without a monarchy**

**The unrest in France will lead to 'onarchy?**

**'Onarchy? How you say, how you say, oh, 'Anarchy'!**

**When I fight, I make the other side panicky**

**With my**

Alex, as well as everyone else who knew French, burst out laughing. 

**[Hamilton/Laurens/Lafayette/Mulligan:]**

**Shot!**

**[Mulligan:]**

**Yo, I'm a tailor's apprentice**

“Uh, I have my own shop?” Mulligan questioned.

“Right, Lin took some liberties with that.”

**And I got y'all knuckleheads in loco parentis**

**I'm joining the rebellion 'cause I know it's my chance**

**To socially advance, instead of sewin' some pants!**

**I'm gonna take a**

**[Hamilton/Laurens/Lafayette/Mulligan:]**

**Shot!**

**[Laurens:]**

**And but we'll never be truly free**

**Until those in bondage have the same rights as you and me**

**(That's right!)**

Jefferson made a face. 

“Just in case you were wondering, slavery was abolished in 1865. Maybe not as soon as you might have wanted, Laurens, but it did happen.”

“Took a civil war that nearly tore apart the country, though,” Ellie added. Though not a few people looked alarmed, the music continued.

**You and I. Do or die. Wait 'til I sally in**

**On a stallion with the first black battalion**

**Have another**

**[Hamilton/Laurens/Lafayette/Mulligan:]**

**Shot!**

**[Burr:]**

**Geniuses, lower your voices**

**You keep out of trouble and you double your choices**

Aaron ignored the looks he was getting. He put in a lot of effort to keep out of trouble with his uncle. Not that it was always successful. There was no telling what might set him off.

**I'm with you, but the situation is fraught**

**You've got to be carefully taught:**

**If you talk, you're gonna get shot!**

**[Hamilton:]**

**Burr, check what we got**

**Mister Lafayette, hard rock like Lancelot**

Laf grinned, puffing out his chest slightly.

**I think your pants look hot**

Mulligan gave Alex a thumbs up.

**Laurens, I like you a lot**

John’s face heated up, but he grinned with the rest of his friends. Peggy smiled. She knew about Alexander and John, but she didn’t doubt his love for her either. John’s heart had the capacity to love more than one person.

**Let's hatch a plot blacker than the kettle callin' the pot...**

**What are the odds the gods would put us all in one spot**

_ “Not very likely, I’d say,”  _ Aaron thought. 

**Poppin' a squat on conventional wisdom, like it or not**

**A bunch of revolutionary manumission abolitionists?**

**Give me a position, show me where the ammunition is!**

Angelica and Eliza both grimaced. Their Alexander, and probably the one in the room with them, was far too reckless for their liking. 

**Oh, am I talkin' too loud?**

“Yes,” Thomas muttered, ignoring the frown he got from James.

**Sometimes I get over-excited, shoot off at the mouth**

**I never had a group of friends before**

**I promise that I'll make y'all proud**

“You have,” Laf said, giving the fifteen-year-old a nod. 

**[Laurens:]**

**Let's get this guy in front of a crowd**

**[Hamilton/Laurens/Lafayette/Mulligan/Ensemble:]**

**I am not throwing away my shot**

**I am not throwing away my shot**

**Hey yo, I'm just like my country**

**I'm young, scrappy and hungry**

**And I'm not throwing away my shot**

Everyone collectively groaned.

**I am not throwing away my shot**

**I am not throwing away my shot**

**Hey yo, I'm just like my country**

**I'm young, scrappy and hungry**

**And I'm not throwing away my shot**

**[Laurens (Hamilton/Lafayette/Mulligan):]**

**Everybody sing:**

“Thank you, me,” John muttered. Peggy nodded.

**Whoa, whoa, whoa (Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!)**

**Hey!**

**Whoa! (Whoa!)**

**Wooh!**

**Whoa! (Whoa!)**

**Ay, let 'em hear ya!**

**(Yeah!)**

**Let's go!**

**[Laurens (Company):]**

**(Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!)**

**I said shout it to the rooftops! (Whoa!)**

**Said, to the rooftops! (Whoa!)**

**Come on!**

**(Yeah!)**

**Come on, let's go!**

**[Laurens:]**

**Rise up!**

**When you're living on your knees, you rise up**

**Tell your brother that he's gotta rise up**

Alex hadn’t seen his brother since he left to become a carpenter. Honestly, though he did miss James sometimes, he wasn’t sure how he’d feel if he were to just show up out of nowhere.

**Tell your sister that she's gotta rise up**

Angelica grinned, sending Laurens a grateful look. Too often the role of women in history was often overlooked, even if their influence was significant.

Aaron wished Sarah were here. She would like this musical.

**[Laurens and Ensemble (Company):]**

**When are these colonies gonna rise up?**

**When are these colonies gonna rise up? (Whoa!)**

**When are these colonies gonna rise up? (Whoa!)**

**When are these colonies gonna rise up? (Whoa!)**

**Rise up!**

**[Hamilton:]**

**I imagine death so much it feels more like a memory**

Several people gasped as Alex subtly nodded. He’d had many close calls with death, so you couldn’t really blame him. So many people had died in that hurricane, and he could have easily been one of them, but he wasn’t. The sickness that had taken his mom hadn’t taken him either.

**When's it gonna get me?**

**In my sleep? Seven feet ahead of me?**

**If I see it comin', do I run or do I let it be?**

“You’re welcome to try, but I don’t think you’ll be very successful.”

Aaron pointedly ignored the looks he got.

**Is it like a beat without a melody?**

**See, I never thought I'd live past twenty**

**Where I come from some get half as many**

So many people on Nevis didn’t make it to adulthood, and there had been times Alex wondered if he’d be one of them. 

**Ask anybody why we livin' fast and we laugh, reach for a flask**

**We have to make this moment last, that's plenty**

**Scratch that**

**This is not a moment, it's the movement**

**Where all the hungriest brothers with something to prove went.**

**Foes oppose us, we take an honest stand**

**We roll like Moses, claimin' our promised land**

**And? If we win our independence?**

**Is that a guarantee of freedom for our descendants?**

Almost simultaneously, everyone glanced at Ellie and Sam. Ellie was singing along with the lyrics quietly. Sam was mouthing along, drumming her fingers along with the beat.

They were living proof of their cause, of what the colonies would become.

**Or will the blood we shed begin an endless**

**Cycle of vengeance and death with no defendants?**

**I know the action in the street is excitin'**

**But Jesus, between all the bleedin' 'n fightin'**

**I've been readin' 'n writin'**

John shook his head fondly, a faint smile on his face. Of course he was, Alex never stopped writing.

**We need to handle our financial situation**

Madison raised an eyebrow. You didn’t find many nineteen-year-olds worrying about the economy.

**Are we a nation of states? What's the state of our nation?**

**I'm past patiently waitin'. I'm passionately**

**Smashin' every expectation**

**Every action's an act of creation!**

**I'm laughin' in the face of casualties and sorrow**

**For the first time, I'm thinkin' past tomorrow.**

“First time?” Peggy said faintly. She hated this easy, casual talk of death. She wanted to ask the Alex with them about this, but she worried he’d only become cagey.

**[Hamilton and Company:]**

**And I am not throwing away my shot**

**I am not throwing away my shot**

**Hey yo, I'm just like my country**

**I'm young, scrappy and hungry**

**And I'm not throwing away my shot**

Nobody openly complained about the repetition, too caught up in their own thoughts.

**[Hamilton/Laurens/Lafayette/Mulligan (Ensemble):]**

**We're gonna rise up! (Not throwing away my shot) Time to take a shot!**

**We're gonna rise up! (Not throwing away my shot) Time to take a shot!**

**We're gonna (Rise up! Rise up!)**

**It's time to take a shot! (Rise up! Rise up!)**

Martha shook her head in exasperation. Those boys were going to get alcohol poisoning one day.

**It's time to take a shot! (Rise up!)**

**(Rise up!) (Woooah!)**

**It's time to take a shot! (Rise up!)**

**Take a shot! Shot! Shot!**

**A-yo it's time to take a shot!**

**Time to take a shot!**

**And I am not throwing away my**

**[Company:] Not throwing away my shot!**


	5. The Story Of Tonight

**[Hamilton:]**

**I may not live to see our glory!**

**[Lafayette/Mulligan/Laurens:]**

**I may not live to see our glory!**

“Are you drinking again?” Angelica frowned at the soldiers, who smiled sheepishly.

**[Hamilton:]**

**But I will gladly join the fight!**

**[Lafayette/Mulligan/Laurens:]**

**But I will gladly join the fight!**

**[Hamilton:]**

**And when our children tell our story…**

**[Lafayette/Mulligan/Laurens:]**

**And when our children tell our story…**

**[Hamilton:]**

**They'll tell the story of tonight**

**[Mulligan:]**

**Let's have another round tonight**

“How about no?” Peggy suggested.

**[Lafayette:]**

**Let's have another round tonight**

**[Hamilton:]**

**Let's have another round tonight**

**[Laurens:]**

**Raise a glass to freedom**

**Something they can never take away**

“I don’t know about that,” Ellie said. “You kind of have thousands of people in bondage right now.”

Jefferson and Washington’s faces both flushed, and Madison frowned.

**No matter what they tell you**

**Raise a glass to the four of us**

**[Laurens/Mulligan:]**

**Tomorrow there'll be more of us**

**[Mulligan/Lafayette/Laurens:]**

**Telling the story of tonight**

**[Hamilton:]**

**They'll tell the story of tonight**

**[Laurens/Mulligan/Lafayette:]**

**Raise a glass to freedom**

**Something they can never take away**

**[Hamilton:]**

**No matter what they tell you**

**[Mulligan/Lafayette:]**

**Let's have another round tonight**

**[Laurens:]**

**Raise a glass to the four of us**

**[Hamilton/Laurens/Mulligan/Lafayette:]**

**Tomorrow there'll be more of us**

**[Hamilton/Laurens:]**

**Telling the story of tonight**

“This is beautiful,” Eliza whispers to her sisters, who nodded.

**[Mulligan/Lafayette:]**

**Let's have another round tonight**

**[Hamilton/Laurens/Ensemble (Mulligan/Lafayette/Ensemble):]**

**They'll tell the story of tonight (Raise a glass to freedom)**

**They'll tell the story of tonight (Raise a glass to freedom)**

**They'll tell the story of tonight (They'll tell the story of)**

**[Full Ensemble:] Tonight**

A shiver ran through the room as the song ended. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew, finally got around to this. Just a note, if you ever want to leave suggestions, please do so. I love getting comments from you guys.


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